Purebloods
by CharmLight666
Summary: Slightly AU ( I shifted the timeline slightly, explanation is in one of the chapters.) Harry's world is about to be turned upside down. What's a mudblood? Is Hermione really completely blameless in getting that title? What's being kept from Harry? First was the prophecy, but what else is Dumbledore hiding? [Ron/Dumbledore/Molly bashing & Slight Hermione Bashing.] Set - Fifth Year
1. Chapter 1

Harry stumbled down the hall after leaving Dumbledore's office in a mess as the weight of the prophecy and the grief of losing Sirius came to the forefront of his thoughts. He found himself slumped on the ground with his back against the wall as tears streamed down his face at thoughts of never being able to see godfather again, when he heard taunting words from down the hall.

"My father reckons your aunt's a troublemaker, someone will teach her a lesson soon!" Goyle sneered at Susan as he and Crabbe blocked her from continuing down the hallway.

"What do you want?" Harry heard Susan demand as he stood up wiping away evidence of his tears and moved towards the arguing trio.

"Harry! Please help!" she pleaded when she saw him draw near.

Crabbe whirled around to face Harry, his wand ready to send a jinx if Harry decided to come closer.

"Aw look, he's come to save his ickle friend." he jeered as Harry glared at him his own mind not thinking logically due to the tumult of emotions.

"Why don't you just back off?" Harry said with an edge in his voice that had Crabbe and Goyle involuntarily flinching, "Umbridge is already gone, you don't have 'Inquisitorial Squad' powers anymore" he continued mockingly, hoping to provoke Crabbe into doing something stupid, but his plans were disrupted.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Goyle , snatching Susan's wand away as she had been raising it in order to curse Crabbe whilst he was distracted by Harry, but the distraction caused by both of them was all Harry needed.

"Expelliarmus!"

Harry quickly disarmed Crabbe, whilst he was watching Susan and Goyle. Harry cast a full-body bind to ensure that he wouldn't be a problem when Harry turned away from him. Crabbe's eyes widened as red charm followed by the curse were cast at him.

"Expelliarmus!"

Harry heard the shout a split second before his seeker reflexes took over and he quickly dove to the right, grazing himself on the hallway wall as cast his own disarming charm in the direction of Goyle's voice.

The red light went too far to the left as Harry overestimated the distance he dove, but before he could right himself and continue the duel he heard another voice cry expelliarmus.

Harry stood and watched as an unknown person he recognized as being female disarmed and bound Goyle from around the corner of the hallway. He looked at Susan wondering if she knew the mystery girl who helped them. Susan, who had moved to the side of the hall during the conflict to avoid being hit by a stray spell, looked at him questioningly obviously also at a loss to who came to their aid.

"Who's there?" Harry asked as he looked around the corner only to be met by a blonde haired girl who looked to be about the same age as Susan and him.

"Really Potter?" the violet eyed Slytherin girl asked, "I help you out and the first thing your brilliant mind can think of to say is 'who's there'?"

"Sorry, I've had a bit of a rough day" Harry said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head apologetically, as he looked towards Susan only to find that she had stayed around the corner.

"Thank you… Um…" He looked at her inquiringly, he hoped that she would give a name.

"Greengrass," she supplied, rolling her eyes, "Of course the boy-who-lived can't be expected to remember the name of a slimy snake, even if they've had potions and D.A.D.A. class together for five years."

Harry was about to retort that he had a bit of a complicated life and didn't need to know her name, but stopped himself when he realized that it would be rude, especially when all she had done was help out and make an accurate criticism. Thinking back on it he realized that this was the first time he had ever spoken to this girl, he had put it down to her being in Slytherin and hating him, but she didn't seem particularly vindictive towards him, just his lack of manners.

Harry sighed as he came to a decision and looked straight into her eyes, "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. It shouldn't matter what house we're in, it's only polite to at least remember people's names, can we start again?"

He stuck his hand out quickly, albeit nervously, "I'm Harry, just Harry. Thank you for helping Susan and I, Miss Greengrass."

Daphne Greengrass was not a witch that was easily surprised, as Slytherin's Ice Queen she spent most of her time observing people, rather than joining them, with the exception of her close circle of friends. But when Harry Potter stuck his hand out and re-introduced himself in such a unembellished way she couldn't help but be shocked that the fabled boy-who-live would swallow his pride for a, until recently, unknown Slytherin.

"It was the right thing to do," she replied shaking his hand in return, "and you can drop the title, seeing as you seem to be willing to learn some manners you can just use my family name. If you know my first name, you have my permission to use it Potter."

Daphne smirked as she watched him flounder searching through his memories for a mention of her first name, knowing that he wouldn't know it, but the smirk disappeared when a glint appeared in his eyes and a smirk graced _his_ lips.

He turned towards the sound of someone coming around the corner, Susan glanced at the situation and rushed to hug Daphne, completely surprising Harry, who had opened his mouth to ask her a question. He had figured that just because he didn't know it doesn't mean others didn't either. However, when he turned to ask Susan for the first, he was beaten to the punch.

"Daphne?" Daphne mentally groaned as she realized why Potter was smirking, her game had been ruined by Susan's timing, "Was it you that helped Harry and I out?"

Daphne nodded in response to Susan's question and when Susan hugged her she returned the hug, albeit awkwardly and a little hesitantly.

Daphne was not one for hugs or other emotional affectations, but Susan was different, she was part of Daphne's close friends group.

Harry remembered what he had been doing before the confrontation and, using the hug as a distraction, quickly wiped his face clean before turning towards the girls.

"So… Daphne," Harry grinned as Daphne glared at him, "I didn't realize you and Susan were _this_ close. I recall that the name Daphne Greengrass is associated with 'Slytherin Ice Queen' in the rumour mill."

Daphne crossed her arms, irked that Susan unknowingly ended her possible entertainment. She narrowed her eyes at him, Harry may have thought he had hidden it, but Daphne was perceptive, she could see the red around his eyes and she saw how he had wiped his face, as if to get rid of tear tracks. However, Daphne also knew went to hold her tongue, so instead she filed away these facts for another time.

"I was under the impression that you paid no mind to the Hogwarts Rumour Mill," she answered a little frostily, "but if you must know Potter, Susan is the intended of a close friend of mine and as such I treat her the same way I treat my other close friends."

"Relax, I was just under the impression that Slytherins didn't mix with other houses, especially with Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs." Harry raised his arms in a conciliatory manner, her tone of voice making him backtrack a little, "and don't call me Potter, it reminds me of Malfoy."

Daphne delicately raised her eyebrow at his answer and inquired, with her arms akimbo, "And what, pray tell, should I call you?"

Harry opened his mouth to answer , but he was interrupted by the bell, signalling that it was time for the students to head to the Great Hall for lunch. When an idea for an exit occurred to him he turned and started walking away, knowing it would irritate Daphne, a person who put a lot of credit in manners and politeness.

Daphne remained frozen in the hallway that was starting become crowded by students eager for lunch, shocked at his nerve, but before she could hex him for his rudeness at not answering he called over his shoulder and grinned, his green eyes sparkling, but red-rimmed.

"Harry, just Harry."

* * *

Harry's good mood lasted until he reached the boys toilets, where one look at the mirror that showed his pale face and red-rimmed eyes reminded him of why he was in that hallway in the first place. Harry couldn't help it, seeing his face in the mirror and with the knowledge that he was alone in the room, he cried. He stood in front of the mirror and sobbed, he stayed there for a good ten minutes before he was composed enough to cast a glamour charm to hide the pallor of his skin and the more prominent red outline around his eyes.

Harry blew his nose and left the bathroom. As he walked towards the chatter of the students in the Great Hall his mind wandered back to his surprisingly amusing conversation with Daphne. Harry thought about how he had enjoyed himself teasing and talking to a Slytherin. He paused in his musings and snorted to himself as realized how comical it was that he enjoyed a conversation with Daphne Greengrass more than a conversation with Ron.

He slipped into the Great Hall when a Ravenclaw student exited, he was glad that he managed to avoid causing a big scene by entering late. His eyes couldn't help but scan the Hufflepuff table and search for Susan. He found her sitting next to her friend Hannah Abbot and and nodded when she sent a smile his way.

Harry walked towards the Gryffindor table where he saw Ron and Hermione sitting, but head of blond hair at the Slytherin table caught his eyes. Daphne was sitting next to a dark haired boy that he remembered was called Nott, Thedore Nott. As he was about to turn away and sit with his friends Daphne looked up, green eyes meeting violet. Unlike Susan Daphne just raised an eyebrow before she turned away.

Harry shook his head and sat across from Ron and Hermione and began to reach for something to eat.

"Where have you been?" asked Hermione as Ron was too busy stuffing his face with food, "Lunch started fifteen minutes ago."

Harry swallowed his pumpkin juice and answered "I ran into some trouble with Crabbe and Goyle after meeting Dumbledore."

"Did you get into a fight?" asked Hermione concerned that Harry had been hurt, particularly since he had just seen his godfather fall through the veil.

Harry nodded and told Hermione and Ron about the fight and talking to Susan, but he left out his talk with Daphne, only saying that he thanked a passer-by that had helped them. Harry knew that Ron was prejudiced against any and all Slytherins and that Hermione, although more open minded, would be suspicious and warn Harry from talking to her again.

* * *

Daphne had stood in the hallway stunned that Potter, no, Harry would her call him by his first name before shaking herself and assuming her Ice Queen persona as she made her way towards the Great Hall. She mused on how different he was from what she imagined. From what she saw of him and his interactions with others namely, Granger, Weasley and Draco, he did not back down easily. So when he had apologized with nothing more than a few seconds pause after she criticized him she was quite surprised. Daphne was cut off from her musings when a voice to her left called her.

"Daphne," called Theodore Nott as he descended the stairs, "where have you been? We agreed to meet in the library and study for the last half of the free period earlier."

After Daphne checked that they were alone she dropped her Ice Queen facade somewhat and smiled, "Sorry Theo, I got caught up with a fight."

Theo quirked his eyebrow at that, Daphne was not known for her heroics or tendency to get into fights, "why in Merlin's beard were in a fight Daphne?"

Theo shifter his books into a more comfortable position as he and Daphne walked to the Great Hall, on the way Daphne told him about finding Goyle and Crabbe in a duel with Susan and Harry. He clenched his fist at the mention of Crabbe and Goyle harassing Susan, he would have to check on Susan and make sure that the two fools were punished. Daphne told him everything from the fight to Harry's parting words.

"Sounds like you were getting quite chummy with Potter," said Theo as he narrowed his eyes at Daphne only to be smacked on the arm by the shorter girl.

"You owe him a thank you for helping your intended in a tough situation, " stated Daphne in an admonishing tone, reminding Theo about his manners. As he grinned sheepishly Daphne continued, "Besides, you know Dray only hates Granger and Weasley, he just gets annoyed by the choices Harry makes."

Theo put his hand out and stopped Daphne from entering the Great Hall. Smirking at Daphne's questioning gaze, "it's Harry now is it?" he quipped.

She shook her head and the two Slytherins entered the Great hall with their facades up, the Ice Queen and the Broody Intellect. As they sat with Draco and the other Slytherins Daphne quelled the blush that threatened to rise because of Theo's comment.


	2. Chapter 2

Rampaging Crabs & Katconan - Thanks for reading! About the bethrothal part, it will be explained in the next chapter and if it's still confusing ask and I'll clear it up in the chapter after. :D

. .86& mwinter1- I hope this was soon enough! ;D

MagicSilver7081 - Most likely, but because Harry's so loyal to his friends he will be a bit hesitant.

geetac & anthony37- Thanks, it's my first time writing, usually I just give my ideas to a friend and they write it. It means quite a lot to me that people actually read this chapter. :P

* * *

When Daphne, Draco, Theodore, Blaise and Tracy were seated in a secluded corner of the common room that night Daphne told the others of the fight.

Theodore sat back with a sigh and rubbed his face, as he thought of the proper protocol he would have to follow.

"I'm going to have to embarrass myself and try to thank him, aren't I?" He stressed.

Blaise snorted in amusement from his place on the couch.

"Don't worry, he'll think you're tricking him, trying make him lower his guard and, instead, you'll just be hexed before you can speak."

Blaise's laughter turned into yelp as he felt two stings on side, he glared at Daphne and Tracy, the witches who were toying with their wands as they watched him with challenging stares, arms crossed in disapproval.

"Enough," sighed Draco as he cut off Theodore and Blaise's respective grumbling, " As a pureblood heir you know the proper rules. He saved your intended, so you must personally thank him." he finished tiredly.

Theodore stood up with a defeated look, but nodded his assent.

"I know, but I'm not doing it with Weasley or Granger, or any other Gryffindorks around." He huffed before he turned to head to his dorm, he was ready to sleep after the previous stress of hearing Susan was in trouble and the current stress of knowing he could be hexed by the boy-who-lived tomorrow.

"Theo," he stopped looked over his shoulder at Tracy, "we'll be there with you." The others voiced their agreement with the statement from their respective seats on the cluster of chairs.

Although relief flooded through the fifteen year old heir, he only inclined his head in gratitude before climbing the stairs. It didn't matter though, his friends could see that he was grateful for their support, that's just how Slytherins were to behave.

* * *

Five Slytherins and one Hufflepuff sat around a table in an unused corner of the library, waiting anxiously for a meeting that could end in an unwanted trip to the Hospital Wing.

Although Theodore was the only one who's anxiety was obvious in his pacing, the others showed signs of nervousness too, if one only knew where to look.

While their faces and stances portrayed boredom to the rest of the school, the way Blaise fiddled with his wand or the way Draco constantly adjusted his green-and-silver striped tie showed the emotions they had been taught to hide in the presence of others.

"He's not coming, probably thinking we'll ambush him," Theodore muttered darkly to himself as he paced in front of his friends and intended.

"Relax Theo, he's probably on his way now," Susan said soothingly from her seat, "lunch only started five minutes ago and Gryffindor Tower is quite a walk from here."

"But what if he doesn't show? Or if he never even got the note to come here."

"He got the note. I slipped it into his hand when I intentionally bumped into him this morning at breakfast, at the entrance to the Great Hall" Daphne said seemingly nonchalantly as she checked her nails, "plus he nodded to me in response during potion."

Silence reined after her comment, the only sounds came from the turning of the pages in Blaise's book or voices from other parts of the library as each friend was deep in thought about their plan to confront the boy who lived. Daphne's gaze wandered onto the books shelved behind Blaise, with her head resting on her hand she thought on Harry's possible reaction.

"What's the meaning of this Greengrass?" questioned an irate voice from behind Draco, "I get a note saying to meet you in this corner of the library and you bring your Death Eater friends with you?" Harry continued as he stepped out of the shadows with his wand raised, watching them as they turned their heads to face him.

"Woah! Put your wand down Potter, no one's attacking you!"

"That's rich coming from you Zabini, you haven't stopped fingering your wand since you got here."

Blaise's face flushed in anger, " At leas-"

"Enough," Draco interrupted cutting off Blaise's retort, "we didn't come here to argue!" He shot a glare at the dark-skinned boy, effectively quieting him.

"What?" Harry exclaimed derisively, "You're one to talk. You've done nothing but argue and fight with me since day one ferret." Harry watched a little gleefully as Malfoy's ears and cheeks were stained with pink by his taunts.

"Harry! Will you please listen to what they have to say?" Susan pleaded speaking for the first time since Harry arrived.

He paused for a moment debating, he was caught slightly off-guard at Susan's request. Harry was leery about being surrounded by known Death Eaters, but Susan had never done anything lose his trust, so he slowly lowered his wand.

"Fine, I'll listen, but only because Susan asked." They all sighed in relief at his answer and Susan offered him the empty seat to her left, beside Daphne. Blaise marked his page and closed the book, giving the situation his undivided attention, although he was never truly reading, just trying to keep his mind off the impending confrontation.

Theodore cleared his throat and looked straight at Harry from Susan's other side, "Potter, Daphne informed me of the mishap and how you helped my intended." At this point Susan grasped Theodore's hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze, "As such I would like to offer my thanks and inform you that the House of Nott owes you a favour." He reclined back in to his chair when he finished his piece, awaiting Harry's response.

Harry stared at the Slytherins sitting with him in the library as he pondered on why they would go to all this trouble to thank him of all people. He watched the dust swirl where the sunlight from a window above them hit the circular table in the middle. He wasn't on good terms with any of them, they could have just let by-gones be by-gones, but called him out despite his blatant distrust.

"Susan, how did someone from an Light family like you get engaged to Nott, a well-known Death Eater family?" Harry enquired of his red-haired classmate.

"Watch your words Potter," a voice quietly spoke from Daphne's other side, "you don't know everything, so don't presume to know our personal affairs." Tracy finished with steel, her hazel eyes flashing.

Harry immediately regretted his choice of words as he seemed to have struck a nerve, but decided he would wait till after Susan's explanation to address it. If Susan was under duress or was otherwise unwilling, Harry would do everything he could to stop the contract. Hermione could help with reasearching he mused.

"Years ago Harry, wizards and muggles followed the same trend of arranged marriages and contracts." Susan began as she leaned forward resting her arms on the table, "The Nott and the Bones family had a contract that when a female heiress of the Bones family," she indicated to herself at this point, "and a male heir of Nott family," Theodore raised his hand slightly, "was born and they were of the same age, they are to be wed within two years after the Bones heiress' seventeenth birthday."

Harry looked questioningly at Susan as she sat back in her chair, "But how did your families even have a contract between them?" He was sure that neither her parents nor her aunt, who has head of the D.M.L.E, would ever write up such a contract.

Surprisingly it was Theodore that answered, "The Notts have not always been a Death Eater family Potter," he said tiredly as he explained, "we were only considered Dark when my grandfather was forced to join the Dark Lord. My grandfather was the Head of house when the Dark Lord was just starting to gather followers."

"But he had a choice, there's always a choice," Harry said confused, because he was watching Theodore he missed the way everyone else stiffened in their seats, even the usually calm Susan. Figuring that the contract was made by their grandparents or earlier, Harry questioned Theodore's grandfather's decision.

"He was given a choice," Theodore muttered darkly, "when my grandfather refused to join he, along with my father and uncle, was captured. The Dark Lord forced my father and grandfather to watch as he tortured my uncle as a consequence of my grandfather's _choice_." he spat the last word as if it was an insult, "My father watched his nineteen year old brother get tortured whilst he himself was only seventeen, Potter."

Theodore continued even as his voiced cracked, it was a sad tale, but Harry couldn't look away from the intensity of the usually quiet boy's brown eyes, "How would you like to have your name dragged through mud because you made the choice to save your family and friends from being hurt?"

"When my grandfather died soon after my father, as the Head of House, made sure to join the Dark Lord when he was asked. He told me he joined readily because he would break if he had to watch anyone else in our family get hurt."

Harry physically flinched at the words, especially when he knew he would've made the same choice in a heartbeat. He could never allow others to be hurt, especially when he could prevent it. Harry swallowed nervously as he watched Susan comfort the distraught boy, rubbing his back slowly as Theodore rested his head on her shoulder, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. Harry looked away from the sight, feeling like an intruder, instead he turned to find violet eyes watching him closely. Guilt ripped through him, but there was something else, inside of him there was a force telling him that there was something he had to do.

"I'm sorry Nott, I didn't realize I was speaking without knowing the story. For causing you grief about something out of your control, I apologize." Harry gulped as he saw he had everyone's attention, but the feeling of compulsion was still there, "as for the favour I am owed-"

"Potter," Daphne interrupted warningly as she narrowed her eyes, an action mimicked by Draco's grey eyes from across the table.

Harry swallowed audibly as he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, "Let me finish," he cleared his throat and explained, "consider the favour paid in full. Information and an insight in exchange for my deed." with the compulsion to speak the words gone he was able to lean back and run his hand through jet black hair, a sign of stress for him.

Theodore continued to eye him warily, but he was glad that the debt would not be hanging over his head. Coming to a decision, he extended his hand towards a surprised Harry, "Theo, call me Theo." Harry smiled and shook his hand, "Harry." He replied in kind, knowing that despite all odds he had gained at least an acquaintance in the normally broody Slytherin.

"Well Potter, now that's sorted-" Daphne began, but was cut off as Harry sent a stinging hex at her arm, "ow! What was that for?" She snapped, rubbing her sore arm.

"I told you to call me Harry," he answered cheekily as he grinned, but the grin disappeared when he was smacked on the back of the head by a manicured hand.

"And I told you to call me Daphne, yet you addressed me as Greengrass earlier," she retaliated and smirked as Harry rubbed the back of his now sore head.

Harry glared at Draco and Blaise as they laughed at him, "Why are you guys even here?" He grumbled," I get Theo and I get Susan, they had a reason, but I'm _pretty _sure that you two definitely hate me and wouldn't want anything to do with me. I'm guessing Daphne was to get me here, but Tracy, other than telling me off, I've got no clue."

"I wouldn't say we hate you," Blaise quipped, "only severely dislike." Harry ground his teeth as he listened to those two chortle at his expense from across table. It didn't matter about the previous situation where he became friendlier with Theo, the other two boys just rubbed him the wrong way.

"Right," Harry drawled, "next you'll tell me Hermione's not just a mudblood in your eyes." he sneered at them.

Draco's eyes hardened when Harry said those words, Blaise quieted as Harry encroached on a delicate topic. "She _is_ a mudblood Potter, not even _you_ can change that." Draco spoke harshly, his grey eyes became stormy in his anger and his fists clenched tightly in an effort to control his temper.

Harry opened his mouth to retort when he felt a delicate hand squeeze his arm.

"Harry," Daphne said quietly, but reprimandingly, "you're about to put your foot in your mouth again." Harry bit his tongue just as the bell signalling the end of lunch tolled. Everyone slowly stood to leave, the tension in the air was so thick it felt suffocating.

"Meet us at the Astronomy Tower tonight at eight," Daphne informed him, "we'll continue our talk."

"What about the prefects?" Harry said through clenched teeth, trying to curb his anger. He was unhappy that his friend was insulted, and he was equally unhappy about being in the dark about important issues.

"Draco and Pansy are the ones one duty at that time," she said, "Pansy just uses the time to use the Prefects Bathroom and preen." Daphne shuddered at the apparently nauseating thought.

Harry nodded jerkily as he left the group, still incensed at the insult towards his friend.


	3. Chapter 3

" - know what I saw Hermione!" Ron hissed.

Hermione glanced furtively at the students making their way to class,her reluctance in discussing a private matter in a crowded hallway

evident, no matter how hushed, "But it doesn't make any sense."

As he saw Ron and Hemione with their heads bowed together Harry walked toward his friends only to be greeted by the sight of a heated, but hushed argument.

He watched as she bit her lip and shuffled the books in her arms, agitation clearly displayed on her face.

"What if-" Hermione began, "Harry! Where have you been all lunchtime?"

Harry frowned at how jumpy she seemed, "I was in the library, I needed to finish my Charms Essay for Flitwick."

Harry was cautious in his explanation, still unsure as to why they were in such heated argument, "What were you guys talking about? It seemed intense..."

Hermione turned on her heel and huffed, "Ron's spouting rubbish, nothing important. Come on we have to get to class." Ron's ears turned red, a tell-tale sign that he was angry at the dismissal of his arguments.

Harry watched bewildered as Hermione and Ron stormed off to Charms class, each ignoring the other. Shaking his head he followed, but he had more pressing things to deal with. Like what was he going to tell them when he left the common room tonight.

Classes passed in a daze for the green eyed youth, with the lessons and homework becoming a blur. Harry soon found himself surrounded by his friends at the Gryffindor table, but he couldn't do much more than shuffle his food around his plate dejectedly. The thoughts of tonight swirled around his head causing a myriad of emotions to surface, how could Malfoy possibly explain insulting his friends at every given turn.

"What's on your mind Harry?" Harry glanced up startled, "You've been out of it since lunch." worried Hermione.

"Nothing just thinking about stuff." He mumbled slumping in his seat, unwilling to meet her concerned eyes.

She closer towards him and whispered, "About Sirius?"

Harry just gave a shrug, letting her interpret as she wished. Although he hadn't outright lied he still felt guilty about misleading his friend.

Harry inwardly winced and thought, _"I'll have to make up to her somehow later, even she doesn't know the reason."_

Hermione nodded to Ron from across the table as Harry refused to elaborate on what had been bothering him, but jumped slightly when she turned to find Harry's inquiring gaze on her.

She smiled tightly and waved her hand dismissively. It was a testament to how distracted Harry was that he only shrugged in response before returning to toying with his meal.

* * *

"Hey mate," Ron said as the trio exited the Great Hall, " 'Mione and I are heading to the library. She's been nagging me to finish that Potions Essay."

"Honestly Ronald if you just make an effort it would be easier on both of us," Hermione huffed, " we got that essay two days ago."

"Yeah, yeah. So anyway, you coming Harry?"

Harry seized the excuse to be separated from them without suspicion, "Nah, I'm exhausted. I think I'll head to the common room, then to bed."

He waved good night as he mounted the stairs to Gryffindor Tower, missing the significant look his two friends shared.

Harry quickly entered the common room and headed towards the fifth year boy's dormitory. He sifted through his trunk and extracted his invisibility cloak.

The cloak's silvery cloth still shimmered where the light hit it. With a flinch the feelings of grief and regret slammed into Harry as he was reminded of not only the parents that he lost, but also of the closest man he'd ever had to a father, Sirius. He sat on the edge of his bed and clung onto one of the few connections he had to the life he could've had, no longer sobbing like yesterday, just letting the tears flow. He felt almost empty, as if he was seeing everything at a distance, experiencing everything at a distance.

Harry was startled out of his train of thoughts when he caught a glimpse of his battered watch, _"7:30"_ the handsread.

He jumped to his feet, wiped his tears and closed his trunk. As an afterthought he rearranged the pillows and the bed covers and shut the curtains, at least if anyone glanced at his bed they would assume he was the still silhouette. Harry strode through the common room without hassle and exited the tower as the Fat Lady grumbled about young students now wandering around the castle at strange hours.

He slipped his cloak on as he turned the corner and held his wand in his right hand. Walking through the empty castle made his way towards the Astronomy tower taking care to muffle his footsteps along the way. As he reached the foot of the steps leading to the tower merely tightened the grip on his wand and turned away, secretly navigating his way to the Slytherin Common Room Entrance Ron and he had been unknowingly showed in second year. He quietly ducked in to a shadowed alcove to the left of where he knew the entrance to be. At five minutes to eight he watched the Entrance open, revealing two people coming out of the room.

"You know my _route_ Drakey!" Pansy said over her shoulder as she walked away carrying a bag which, presumably, contained her things for preening, Harry shuddered at the thought.

"Stupid pug-faced airhead," Draco muttered darkly much to Harry's amusement, "keeps bastardizing my name." He moved away from the entrance as the other four Slytherin students came out.

"Are you mumbling about Parkinson's habit of pet names again, _Drakey?"_ Blaise taunted.

"Shut up," Draco growled, "how would you like it if you were _Blaisey?"_

_"_You wouldn't," Blaise narrowed his eyes, but, whether Draco would or would not, Tracy interrupted the two boys.

"Enough. We have a meeting with Lord Potter to get to."

"Agreed. A pity Susan couldn't attend though, she promised her friend Abbott they'd study together tonight." Theo informed the others, much to their disappointment, which puzzled Harry. Why would be important to have Susan?

"Well, we will just have to hope that Potter trusts us enough to listen." Daphne said, they were worried Harry would leave without listening upon discovering Susan was not with them.

The five Slytherins has started walking towards the Astronomy Tower, but stopped when Daphne let out a pained yelp. Draco, Theo, Blaise and Tracy watched as she spun around rubbing her stinging arm, facing the way they had come from.

"How many times do I have to hex you before you start calling me Harry of your own accord, Daphne?" Harry asked as he stepped out of the shadows smirking, wand in hand. He had slipped his invisibility cloak into the bag he'd brought, in his rush to leave after his breakdown he had forgotten to discard it.

"What are you doing here Potter?" Daphne queried, but added hastily when raised his eyebrow, "I mean Harry."

"I believe it was to meet you guys."

"We told you to meet us at the Astronomy Tower." Tracy put in, but stopped when Harry quickly rounded on her.

"_You_ have some explaining to do about calling me a Lord." He stated firmly in a tone that brooked no disagreement.

"Wait," Blaise said with narrowed, "how do you know where our common room is? We don't let outsiders know." He continued suspiciously.  
"That's a story for when I actually trust you Zabini." Blaise looked like he was about to protest, but then nodded his understanding when he realised he would've done the same thing.

"Why were you tailing us Potter?" Draco asked, "And put your wand down, we are obviously not attacking you."

"Sorry. Force of habit around you Malfoy." Harry explained sheepishly, "And I was tailing you for a good reason. I'm open-minded, not stupid. Even if I am in Gryffindor."

An awkward silence fell after his words as they were at a loss for what to do. Here were six students that were usually rivals standing in an empty hallway about to the break the rules together.

The silence lasted until Theo chuckled, "You're definitely different Harry, not many Gryffs would meet five Slytherins on their own, let alone a Gryff that comes with a plan that gives them an advantage in case it's an ambush."

Harry joined in his laughter, "Well, Theo, I didn't think I'd find Snakes that would be civil towards me."

The other four stood in shock at the sight of those two laughing and joking together.

"We should still go the Astronomy Tower, it's more private than a hallway." Draco said leading the way. The group walked in silence as each of them were wrapped in their own thoughts. Harry pondered on how weird it was to be sneaking around with these five rather than Ron and Hermione.

* * *

It was cloudless night, the stars shone as white specks against the black sky. The six of them sat, stood or otherwise lounged at different spots around the tower. Daphne and Tracy sat cross-legged on the floor with their backs leaning against the wall that ran along the edge of the tower. Draco and Blaise moved to lean on the section of wall directly across from the wooden entrance, but while Blaise faced the group Draco stared out at the Hogwarts Grounds. The trees and grass swayed in the slight breeze and crescent moon shone on the surface of the Black Lake.

"You have some explaining to do," Harry voiced from where he stood slightly to the right of the door, "all of you."

"What do you want to know first?" Daphne asked, "Remember that we will only answer if we can."

"Why did you call me Lord Potter?" He asked Tracy, only for Tracy look at him confusedly.

"That's your highest title." She frowned, "Before turning fifteen you would've been called Heir or Scion Potter. And right now I'm guessing with the late Lord Black as your godfather you could probably be called Heir or Scion Black."

"Harry did you receive _any_ correspondence from Gringotts after you turned fifteen?"

"No." He replied furrowing his brow, "How did you know Sirius Black was my godfather?"

"Because when he died father went to Gringotts and inquired on the possibility that I would inherit the Black title." Draco spoke for the first time since arriving to the tower, "But I was denied as the previous Lord Black had apparently designated an heir in his will."

Harry frowned as he puzzled it out, "Your mother! She was a Black, you were trying your claim as her son. Okay, got that, but I never got anything from Gringotts."

"Potter, you should make a trip Gringotts as soon as you can." Blaise put in, "Your letters might blocked by someone."

"Or you've got a redirection charm on you. Which would explain why you don't receive fan mail at breakfast every morning." Theo mused from Harry's left.

"Can someone go with me to Gringotts because I wouldn't know what I'd be doing?" Harry threw that question out to the group in general.

"I suppose I could go with you, my holidays are less strict compared to Draco and Theo." Daphne suggested tentatively, "Plus a Lord or Heir shouldn't be dressed in rags, we'll buy you new clothes then too."

"I didn't say the holidays, Blaise said it should be soon." Harry grinned, "How about tomorrow? After dinner I'll pick you up from your common room."

"How do you suppose you'll get to Gringotts?" Daphne incredulously voiced the question on everyone's mind.

"You'll see." Harry smiled, "I can't tell you guys _everything_, you're still practically strangers."

Harry marvelled at how the group just shrugged and let it go. With his other friends he'd be pestered till he told them or till they gave up and fell out with him. He decided he liked being able to have his own secrets.

Realizing he had no real friends save Hermione and Ron, Harry made the decision to get to know more people, but later, now was time for a serious discussion.

"Now, why do you keep insulting my friends?" He decided to put some trust in this Slytherin group because they'd earned it, but he would turn away from them if they did anything to lose it.

"It's what they are. If you ask a self-respecting Pureblood from any house they will tell you that Weasley is a blood-traitor and Granger is a mudblood." Draco stated coldly, "I'm just the most vocal about it. If you ask Susan or even Longbottom in private, they will tell you. They were raised the Wizarding ways."

"But what did they do to get those names?" Harry asked exasperatedly.

"A mudblood is a witch or wizard that spits on the face of magic." Tracy began.

"Hermione would never do that! She studies so hard because she loves having magic!" Harry protested.

"Just listen Harry." Theo ordered firmly, "No one truly understands magic, but Purebloods or even Half-Bloods that are taught the Wizarding way understand it better. That's because they grow up with other witches and wizards to teach or guide them. They live with magic surrounding them, they know what to expect when you cast a spell as simply as knowing what to expect when you're about to sneeze. Every child and parent, every witch and wizard, raised in a pureblood environment knows that inside themselves rests the source of magic, the source of their powers, in essence they know that their body holds their magical core."

"When they are old enough to understand, usually from the ages of 7-8, the children are taught how to tap, channel, feel and recognize the pull of their magic. They learn to react accordingly to the pulls of their magic. " Blaise took over the explanation, causing Harry to towards him, "This way accidental magic becomes less and less because they can learn to control it. It's dangerous not only for the people around them, but also for the child if they don't know how to control their magic. What if they summoned a knife and killed themselves by accident because they were curious? Or what if they levitated themselves then lost concentration?"

"Don't you ever get a feeling in your gut that just tells you what to do or compels you to do or say something Potter?" Tracy asked and Harry nodded his head, "A few people, like you, instinctively know to listen to it, but others don't like what they don't understand."

"There's a reason the wand chooses the wizard or witch, because the wand is a conduit for the witch or wizard's magic." Daphne said, "If you try to force your magic to flow through a wand that it isn't compatible with your magic your spells will either be weak or back fire completely."

"I appreciate the history lesson, but how is Hermione a mudblood?" Harry interrupted much to their chagrin, "She has her own wand, she excels in school and all spells."

"We're getting to that," Draco said testily, "Long ago the four founders of Hogwarts realised that this lack of understanding of the semi-sentience of magic puts the muggleborn students at a disadvantage. They were compelled by their magical cores to pass a law that, in fairness, the muggleborns should be hosted by a Pureblood family. For a period of 6-12 months before starting at Hogwarts." His voice became more emotionless and detached as he spoke.

"In accordance to the law Pureblood families either pay a donation to the Muggleborn Program or volunteer to host and teach a muggleborn." Theo picked up when Draco became lost in thought, still staring out across the grounds, "Blaise, Tracy and my family donated for our own reasons, but Daphne and Draco volunteered."

"My family didn't get assigned to a muggleborn because there were more volunteers than muggleborns during our first year, that's when my family volunteered." Daphne said, but her voice trailed off as she looked to Draco.

"My father was putting every effort in to restoring the Malfoy name," Draco informed emotionlessly, "he volunteered our family and we were assigned to Granger. Did you know she had the maturity and mentality of a thirteen year old when she was ten? I heard professors talking about it some time ago."

The question threw Harry off as he hadn't known, but it explained why Hermione had problems interacting with people her own age. Luckily she's learned the lat couple of years she'd attended Hogwarts. Draco's voice broke the silence that had quickly fallen when he had finished his earlier statement.

"We followed the rules, my father went to meet the Grangers, he even brought me along so that Granger would know she'd have someone her own age to play with." Draco laughed mirthlessly, "Father showed them the contract, and explained that as the Head of the House he would be her magical guardian, like a representative of her parents in the magical world."

Draco turned to Harry for the first time and Harry saw that despite his tone Draco's eyes were glassy, as if tears threatened to fall.

"I looked forward to it you know? I'd make a friend who was my age and help my father better the Malfoy name at the same time." He continued, "She slowly read the short document beside her parents, I used to marvel at how she was so smart she could understand the words with barely any help from her parents, then she stopped and pointed angrily at a clause in the paper and vehemently voiced her _disagreement_."

"What did it say?" Harry coaxed softly when Draco stopped speaking.

"It was a betrothal short listing," Draco finally stated, "Father tried to explain that it was there so that others would know she was under the protection of the Malfoy family. It was a fail-safe in case others tried to use her lack of pureblood and wizarding law knowledge against her. It just said that in future, if we both consented, she and I could be betrothed. Neither of us were actually bound to get married or even betrothed, just that another pureblood wouldn't be able to trick her and trap her in a marriage if he he decided he fancied her."

Harry, although slow in relationships and such, was not stupid. He realized how Hermione would've reacted, especially knowing that she thought the Wizarding world was backwards and plain prejudiced.

"She yelled and insulted the Program didn't she?" Harry asked rhetorically with a wince.

"You could say that. " Draco snorted derisively as he ran his hand through his blond hair, "You could also say she yelled that it was a stupid program, that we were tricking her and that she didn't need us before storming out of the room."

Harry released a heavy sigh running his through his already messy hair, and he paced. The other students watched him as he deliberated on what to do after his had just been overturned. It wasn't Hermione that was wronged, it was _Draco _that had been wronged. He muttered as he paced, how little he knew, how much he needed to learn, what about Ron? What did he do? Harry suddenly stopped and turned towards Draco.

Stepping forward with his right hand outstretched, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for when I threw insults at you in Hermione's defense because I believed you were being uncalled for. I'm sorry that my friend treated you that way and threw all your good intentions in your face because she was too stubborn and too sure of herself to listen to you."

The other four Slytherins waited with bated breaths as Draco narrowed his eyes at Harry and studied him.

"_You_ apologizing to me won't change the fact that she's a mudblood Potter." Draco started as he came forward and grasped Harry's hand, "But I appreciate the apologies."

Harry and the others released the breaths they hadn't realized they were holding when Draco shook Harry's hand.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I never thought I'd see the day Draco and Potter would be polite and shake hands." Blaise joked as everyone stepped towards the two boys.

"What about Ron?" Harry asked hesitantly, not sure whether he wanted to know or not, but it didn't matter. Whether by coincidence or by timing the door slammed open making all six of them jump and point there wands at the people coming through the door.

"I told you Hermione!" Ron shouted pointing his wand at Harry and the Slytherins, "I told you they were meeting here! What are you doing hanging around Death Eaters Harry?"

"How could you have known we'd be here _Weasley_?" Blaise sneered making 'Weasley' sound like an insult.

"I overheard you in the library you stupid snake!"

"Spying on us were you? Are you getting paid by someone you filthy blood-traitor?" Draco jeered stepping towards the angered red-head, "Trying to earn a little extra for a proper bed? You probably sleep on the floor in that shack you call a house."

Draco's taunts incensed Ron to the point that he forgot he was holding a wand and he punched Draco in the face. Only to be met by fist punching his nose as Draco retaliated. People watched from the sidelines as the boys fought, Hermione watched fearfully from the doorway.

Ron's nose was bleeding and Draco was sporting a black-eye. Each of them bleeding from various small scratches from hits they'd managed to land on each other. When Harry moved to pull them apart he was stopped by Daphne grabbing his hand and giving a slight shake of her head. Harry was forced to watch the fight, being unable to help as Daphne never let go of his hand, always restraining him. He could've broken free, but he didn't want to hurt her in the process.

When they pulled apart both boys were breathing heavily.

"Forgotten you're a wizard have you?" Draco taunted, "Starting a fight like a muggle!"

"Flipendo!" Ron shouted grasping his wand in both hands as his face and ears coloured to match his hair.

Draco's eyes widened as the blue light sped towards him, it propelled him into the air as Ron put all his anger into the spell.

Time seemed to slow as they watched Draco rise and get propelled backwards over the wall and downwards. When time sped up again everyone save Ron and Hermione rushed to the wall only to see Draco hurtling towards the ground silently as he fell into a state of shock, his cloak billowed behind him as stared up at the frozen people on the Astronomy Tower.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm sorry everyone, I forgot to say a few things at the beginning. This is slightly AU in that I've shifted the Ministry events to the middle-ish of their fifth year rather than at the end, a bit before Fred and George left in the movies. And to the people that pointed out the flaws in my story, thank you, I'll try to adjust it accordingly. Although, some of the comments probably should've been left till more of the story came to light. :D**

**Read on.**

* * *

"Accio Firebolt!" Harry cried before he leaped onto the low wall and dived after Draco. He faintly heard Daphne losing her cool for the first time and yelling, "You stupid Gryffindor!" He wasn't sure if she meant Ron or him.

Despite wearing glasses the wind stung his eyes as he fell through the air chasing after Draco. The wind buffeting him drowned out all the noise except for a whistling as his Firebolt raced towards his outstretched hands. Quickly swinging his legs over onto his broom Harry chased after the flailing blonde.

All muscles in his body were tensed as he reached out to pull Draco onto the broom, he leaned further on his broom, speeding up even as ground rushed towards them. Harry caught Draco's arm and roughly pulled his broom level to slow their descent, but their momentum threw both boys off the broom when they hit ground and they tumbled down the small to come to a stop underneath a tree near the Black Lake.

"Get off me you dyed blonde-wannabe." Harry puffed as Draco ended up half-lying across his chest, "You're heavy."

Draco groaned and rolled off the raven haired boy only to remain lying on the wet grass beside him attempting to catch his breath. He was visibly shaken by his near death experience and was still jumpy from the adrenaline rushing through his veins.

"I'll have you know this is my natural hair colour," Draco panted as they both stared at the moon peeking through the branches of the tree, "you air-headed twit."

They looked at each other, grey eyes meeting green, and laughed. They laughed till they were clutching their aching sides.

They laughed for many different reasons, because the wall between them had crumbled enough that they could insult each other without starting an all out fight.

They laughed because in their point of view the other looked ridiculous, withtousledhair, rumpled robes and cheeks red from adrenaline and laughter.

But most of all they laughed in joy for the life they still had, both thought that the fall could've been their end and were grateful it wasn't.

When their laughter subsided to soft, infrequent chuckles Harry stood and pulled Draco to his feet. Harry found their wands at the base of the tree covered in grass and dirt. He turned to find Draco dusting off his pants and cloak. Looking down at his own attire Harry hurriedly dusted off his own clothes.

_"It's good to actually hear him laughing, we'd probably get along better if he laughed, rather than sneered, more often"_ Harry thought to himself with a shrug.

"Oi Malfoy! Catch!" Harry called over as he lightly tossed the hawthorn wand to it's owner.

"Careful! I need that!" Draco called back catching his wand in his left hand, _"Stupid Gryffindor, throwing important things around the place."_

Harry looked up as he bent to pick up his Firebolt and watched his catch, "Nice catch."

"I could say the same for earlier." Draco grinning, "Is your broom okay? It rolled on the ground a bit when we landed, right?"

_"He definitely should smile more than smirk. He looks less irritating."_ Harry thought to himself, "It's okay, I'll go over it with my maintenance kit later though. Angelina might kill me if I don't have a decent broom now that Umbridge is gone."

They stood across from each other, just staring for a split second before Draco spoke up.

"Thank you for saving me."

Harry's eyes widened, "Any time?"

Draco rolled his eyes at the dark haired boy's response,_"Potter really ought to be more eloquent. (Sigh) If there's ever a chance for me to re-introduce myself it would be now I suppose."_

"We got off the wrong foot entirely when we first met Potter," Draco extended his hand, "I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Harry's green eyes widened comically in surprise,_"I didn't think he'd be the one to start this, but I guess near death experiences can literally form a bond between people. Not that I'll be trusting him just yet, he's costing me my two best friends tonight"_

"I'm Harry, just Harry." Instead of grasping his hand though he grasped his forearm, _"I'm not sure where I've seen this before, but I've been doing too many handshakes lately, this is a good change."_

Although Draco had been caught off-guard by thepseudo-handshake he grasped Harry's forearm and smirked, "I told you you didn't want to make friends with the the wrong sort."

_"Great. Now the smirk comes back."_ Harry thought mentally rolling his eyes at the blonde's words. "Just because I saved your life doesn't mean we're friends all of a sudden, you know. I still don't take kindly to you bullying and mocking other people for grudges that you can't let go. But I am willing to see your point of view, if you're willing to see mine."

_"I guess he's not a complete idiot."_ Draco nodded his assent as both boys scrambled onto Harry's Firebolt, flying to return to their companions on the tower.

* * *

"Flipendo!" Daphne shouted at the stunned red-head who was staring at the space Draco and Harry just vacated. He flew back and flipped head over heels before hitting the wall with a sickening crunch.

_"Stupid Gryffindor getting people killed, he is going to suffer. And Harry! Stupid Gryffindor heroics! He could've just used Aresto Momentum if he was able to react that fast!"_ Daphne inwardly fumed.

"Does that hurt?" She yelled at a groaning Ron, "Well I bloody well hope did! At least it only hurt instead of nearly _killing_ you!"

Normally Daphne didn't swear, in fact she looked down on people who frequently swore, but she just saw two people she knew nearly die because of a boy'sstubbornnessand stupidity. With her wand tip glowing and the moon casting shadows across her face she looked like an angel of vengeance, particularly with the light almost making her hair silvery as the wind lifted a few strands, creating a floating effect around her.

Blaise watched the proceedings with wide eyes, _"I've never seen Daphne this mad before. This is the first time she's lost her cool like this, the blood-traitor is toast."_

"And you! Mudblood! You're supposed to be the voice of reason in your _Golden Trio,_ what happened to your infamous intellect?" Tracy said cuttingly causing Hermione to flinch and take a step back.

"You're as much of a culprit as that ginger moron is." Theo added_._

Tears threatened to spill from Hermione's eyes as their words stabbed her like arrows, each one full of guilt, Harry was her friend, she shouldn't even be here doubting him.

"What did you think you would achieve in coming here?" Blaise cut in, upon seeing her unsure gaze he elaborated, "Were you going to confront Potter about fraternizing with the 'enemy'? You must've known all this would achieve is a confrontation that could damage your friendship."

"No!" Ron stood up unsteadily and slurred, "We're going to stop him from making a mistake! He shouldn't be even talking to you!"

The four Slytherins looked to each other with a single thought, _"He really is an idiot."_

"Funny how you're the one that nearly gets Potter killed whilst _we're_ considered the enemy." A voice from behind them spoke up, "My father will definitely hear about this murder attempt Weasel and no one will stop me from dragging your name through mud. Not the Headmaster, not your father and especially not you!" Draco proclaimed as he and Harry dismounted the broom.

_"Everyone looks ready to tear Hermione and Ron apart."_ Harry thought before he turned to see a glowing wand tip pointed right at his face, courtesy of one irate Daphne Greengrass.

"What did you think you were doing with that stunt?!" Daphne yelled, "You could've died too! Bloody Boy-Who-Lived or not you're still only mortal!"

"I'm sorry. That was the first thing that came to my mind." Harry tried to explain to the violet-eyed witch, "I'm sorry, I know I'm not immortal. I'll try to think next time." He stammered with his hands up in surrender.

_"At least he knows what he did wrong. Honestly who thinks it's a smart idea to jump off a tower to save_ _someone else_ _who fell off the tower!"_ Daphne huffed and merely pointed her wand at Ron again, "Stupefy!"

Everyone watched in fascination as he fell forward, literally stunned by the spell. They all winced as he landed on his face.

_"I feel sorry for him. He may be hotheaded, but he's still my first friend. I'll have to talk to him, because house rivalry or not he nearly killed Malfoy, and that's not on."_Harry thought to himself as he watched Blaise step towards his former friend and murmur in a voice too low for him to hear. "What're you doing?"

"Just a little spell that will activate in a few hours." Blaise answered with a wink.

_"I hope it's nothing permanent, no one deserves lasting punishment for doing what they think is right."_ Harry winced, "It's nothing permanent right?"

Harry sighed with relief when Blaise shook his head, but didn't tell him to reverse the spell. Ron _did_ still need to learn that there _are_ consequences for stupid actions.

Tracy stepped up and flicked her wand, casting a non-verbal spell. Harry watched in wonder as the wounds all over Ron's body and face disappeared.

"Did you just heal him?" Harry asked incredulously, _"Don't they all hate him? Especially now since he almost killed Malfoy?!"_

"Relax Potter. Tracy just cast a glamour charm." Blaise explained smirking as Harry's confused expression cleared, _"He really is comical. He does the heroics, connects the dots, but when something doesn't make sense or doesn't sit right his face shows everything he's thinking. He's a Gryffindor and a Slytherin mixed in one."_

_"That makes more sense, I guess Tracy's the one that sees and pays attention to the details"_ Harry decided mentally, "Hermione, why were you here? And how much of the conversation did you two hear?"

Hermione cringed as all eyes turned towards her, she had the look of a trapped animal being surrounded by predators, which, excluding Harry, was a pretty accurate analogy.

"Ron said he overheard you planning to meet with Slytherins when he went to look for you in the library at lunch. We only heard you ask Malfoy about Ron while shaking his hand." Hermione's voiced trembled and she flinched when Harry stepped forward with tightly clenched fists, as if he was fighting to control himself.

_"What's he doing?"_ Daphne wondered as Harry of all people looked angrily at Hermione.

"You're lying." He whispered causing Hermione to jerk backwards, "Or at least not telling me the whole truth. I always know when you're lying Hermione, why would you even lie in the first place? You know I hate being lied to, especially after what the headmaster did the last summer."

"I'm sorry!" She burst out, unnerved by the look of hurt and betrayal in Harry's eyes, "We got here when Malfoy was explaining the '_Program_' and what happened, I just didn't want to remember it again okay? I can't believe I acted so childishly! I didn't need to storm out, it wasembarrassing, but I still don't approve of that Program, it was going to trap me in a marriage! I didn't believe the excuses then, I won't believe them now! And Professor Dumbledore was only doing what he thought was best for you."

"NO HERMIONE!" Harry shouted angrily, "It's not okay! You know I hate being lied to and kept in the dark. All those times I made an enemy of Malfoy and the other Slytherins because I defended you, whilst the truth is that you brought it on yourself in first place! You could've fixed this years ago by apologizing for your behavior, but you couldn't because of your stubborn pride! I will always help my friends if I can Hermione, but I can't fix anything unless you help yourself first."

_"I'm glad we picked a high and secluded place for this meeting,"_Theo thought sardonically, _"otherwise the noise would've gotten us caught in no time."_

"You're brilliant Hermione, but you're not always right. And you're not always _in_ the right." Harry exclaimed sadly, "You have to learn that you don't always know what's best, and just because someone has a title doesn't mean they're all-knowing, Dumbledore doesn't always know what's **right**. What you did to Draco was bad and insulting, and it could've been avoided if you'd just listened to someone other than yourself!"

_"No, he can't mean that. Harry wouldn't choose them over me."_ Hermione panicked as she started backing away shaking her head back and forth, _"Maybe I was wrong... No! They were going to trap me! But Harry would never fight with me unless he had a reason to... I can' t think here, but Ron was wrong. We should never had doubted Harry... But it was Malfoy and a group of Slytherins he was meeting with..."_

Harry shook his head as he watched the expressions on her face before she turned away and ran, probably to the common room, _"I can practically read what she was thinking, but I'll wait for her response. I know she'll think it through, she's Hermione."_

However Daphne misinterpreted his head shaking, "She'll probably come around soon and apologize to you Harry."

"Daphne," Blaise started, "even to me that sounds feeble. I wouldn't say _soon_ for such a stubborn Gryffindor."

They all, with the exception of Harry, chuckled at that before Draco nudged Ron's head non-too gently, "You should get this filth back to your dorm Potter, Salazar only knows what he'll say if a teacher found him here."

_"When are these Slytherins going to learn, if I introduce myself as Harry, I want to be called Harry by them."_ Harry thought to himself before sending a stinging hex towards Draco's shoulder. "I said we're not suddenly friends, but if I personally introduce myself as 'Harry' it means I have enough respect for you to call me by my name."

"Ow!" Draco spun around rubbing his smarting shoulder, "No need to hex me! I just wasn't sure if you were giving me permission to call you Harry earlier or not! Word of warning though, if you don't call me Draco, at least when it's just us six plus Susan, I get to hex you too."

"Deal." Harry pointed his wand at Ron and chanted, "Locomotor."

With Ron levitating in front Harry lead the way down the stairs.

* * *

The candles in the hallway burned low in their holders, a marker of the time that had passed. In contrast to the noise that usually filled the halls, the silence of night was eerie. Harry turned towards Gryffindor Tower with every intention of parting ways with the Slytherins, but when he heard their footsteps right behind him he looked at them curiously.

_"Why are they following me? I'm pretty sure Slytherin Common Room is the other way."_

"We're coming to back you up in case the mudblood ran back, squealed on you and they're preparing an ambush." Draco stated simply.

"Don't call her that, even if it is technically true, at least only do it when I can't hear." Harry retorted, "Hermione made a mistake, okay? Look, I know her better than any of you. I don't think you need to worry too much about an ambush..." Harry trailed off at their quirked eyebrows.

"Potter, these are Gryffindors, they act first and think later." Blaise mentioned, "No offence."

_"Whenever people say that it's because they are being insulting."_ Harry rolled his yes.

"Look Harry. The three-quarters of the school is biased against Slytherin, that's why we have to look out for each other outside of our Common Room." Theo stated, "Since we've been helping each other out right now you're an honorary Slytherin, at least to us, I can't speak for the rest of the house."

_"It would be nice to actually have you in Slytherin though."_Daphne pushed the unbidden thought away, _"What am I thinking? I'm not some stupid fangirl that gets obsessed about a guy, I never ever want to resemble Parkinson in any way."_

"Suit yourselves, I guess it's only fair for you five to know where Gryffindor Tower is, seeing as I know where the Slytherin Common Room is. This way we're even."

With Ron still floating unconscious ahead of them, Harry lead the group to the Gryffindor Common Room, taking care to stay in the shadows and walk through hallways with little to no paintings. _"I really should've brought the Marauder's Map, I can't believe I forgot it when I rushed out of the room."_

* * *

"You guys stay out here and I'll take Ron up." Harry told them, "I'll come out within five minutes and say 'Good Night', okay?"

He ducked into the portrait hole and with slight difficulty brought the glamoured form of Ron inside.

_"Well, now what are we supposed to do till he returns?"_ Blaise thought disbelievingly, "What do we do? Twiddle our thumbs?"

"Shut up Blaise!" Tracy hissed smacking the back of his head, "There could still be teachers or prefects prowling. Or even paintings that are awake to inform the Headmaster."

"Okay, but you didn't have to hit so hard." Blaise grumbled under his breath.

_"He truly is an idiot within Slytherin,"_ Theo thought looking up at the high ceiling, _"Though he has a point, all there is to do is stand in a hallway with low burning candles casting shadows and twiddle our thumbs."_

"So..." Blaise turned towards Daphne, Draco and Theo drawing out the one word, "You're all getting along _very_ well with _Dear Harry_."

The aforementioned three shared a glance before Draco muttered, "Silencio" with a flick of his wand towards their Italian friend.

* * *

_"I don't think I'd ever be able to live in Gryffindor Tower."_ Daphne shuddered, _"All that red and gold, too bright for my tastes, and I only got a glimpse! What must the rest of the house look like."_

While the other ruminated on topics that crossed their minds Tracy mentally decided that if Harry did not come out in another minute or so they would have to contact him tomorrow. She was keenly aware of the importance of keeping the details in mind, greater plans have failed because of forgotten details.

All five of them leaned against the wall opposite of the Tower Entrance each lost in their musings, save for Blaise who was mentally cursing Draco for silencing him. The silence stretched so that it almost felt wrong to break the quietude of the night. Each were pulled out of their thoughts, however, when the portrait hole opened to reveal a grinning Harry.

"Come on!" He whispered gesturing for them to follow him as he held onto a blank parchment.

"Where are you going Harry?" Daphne asked softly.

"I'm taking you the Slytherin Common Room, duh." Harry stated as if it was obvious before turning to tease Blaise, "What's wrong with Zabini? He keeps waving his arms and pointing at his mouth. He looks like a nutcase."

_"I'm guessing they silenced him,"_ Harry though inwardly snickering, _"I'm_ _not going to be the one the cancel the charm."_They all walked forward stifling their laughter as Blaise glared at them.

* * *

"This is our stop." Theo said quietly when they reached the Slytherin Common Room.

_"Thank you Theo, none of us would've guessed."_ Daphne thought sarcastically before each Slytherin turned to Harry.

"Thank you for being honest and for naming me an honorary Slytherin, of course." He said smirking, Tracy and Blaise rolled their eyes.

Harry turned to Theo, Tracy and Blaise, "Good night guys. I'm guessing we'll be ignoring each other in front of other students?"

They nodded in response with faint smiles tugging at their lips at his dramatized tone.

"Good night, Malfoy." Harry stretched out his hand and the two boys did their pseudo-handshake, which was met by raised eyebrows from their companions.

"Good night, Potter."

Finally, turning to Daphne as the others stood in front of the Slytherin Common Room Entrance, "Good night, Daphne, I'll meet you here tomorrow after dinner for our trip."

"Good night Harry. Due to the other events cause by your ginger moron I forgot to tell you,why not meet me here when lunch starts instead? It is a Saturday tomorrow, and even if goblins usuallyaccommodatetheir premium clients, they still wouldn't be fond of doin transactions at night-time." She smirked at him.

"Premium clients?" Harry asked wonderingly, _"I can't believe I forgot it would be a Saturday tomorrow!"_

"Clients with a lot of gold in their accounts, such as the Potter, Black clients." Daphne informed him, "Honestly, you'd never last in Slytherin, since you lack basic knowledge."

_"I may not last in the politics of Slytherin, but I could do alright in a fight I bet."_ Harry inwardly stated, but only nodded in response and the Slytherins turned to open their Common Room with the password.

"Hey Daphne." Harry called to her just as the Slytherins moved to enter their Common Room, "You may not think I'd do well in Slytherin, but the Sorting Hat would have begged to differ back in First Year."

Harry turned and left, grinning at the surprised faces of the Slytherins he left behind, a rare moment in which they were caught off-guard outside their Common Room and in thepresenceof an outsider.

He laughed silently to himself as he navigated his way through the empty corridors of Hogwarts.

* * *

Harry woke up the next morning tired from the previous evening's escapades. The sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtain he had tiredly closed last night, waking him earlier that he would've preferred. He groaned and rolled to the side in an attempt to escape the light and the chore of having to leave his comfy bed.

Eventually he sighed and rolled groggily out of bed to land with the cold dorm floor under his feet. He reach for his shirt tiredly and slipped over his head, the navy shirt being two sizes too big for his small frame.  
_"I should get to breakfast soon,"_ Harry thought to himself as he slowly finished the task of dressing for the day, _"I wonder what I'll for Diagon Alley later, I can't really where my school robes... Where have the other guys gone?"_

And to speak of the devil, Neville came through the door with a panicked looked on his face, he slammed the door shut in a rush.

"What happened Harry?" Neville stammered to the raven-haired boy, "This morning Ron woke me, Seamus and Dean saying how you were a traitor and turning dark. He was telling us how you were talking to Death Eaters and stuff."

"Neville! Calm down!" He ordered the panicked boy, "I'm not turning dark, I was talking to Slytherins, not Death Eaters and it was for a private matter. Has he told anyone else this?"

"He was trying to tell a bunch of the younger Gryffindors at breakfast between mouthfuls." Neville grimaced at the unbidden image of Ron's less than exemplary table manners, "I didn't believe him you know, Harry. I was just panicking because Seamus and Dean are helping him spread rumours because they believe him."

"Thanks Neville," Harry smiled at the bigger boy who grinned back from where he sat on his own bed, "You're a good friend. Um... How's your injury?"

"No one else believed in me, but you did Harry, with DA and all." Neville shrugged, "Madam Pomfrey said it was pretty bad, the only reason I was allowed out of Hospital Wing is because I have to visit here every morning and each night for potions."

_"You could even ask Longbottom and he'll tell you that she's a mudblood..."_ The words rang in Harry's mind as Neville's words laid a burden of guilt on his shoulders."Neville..."

"Hmm?" He hummed not looking up from his trunk where he was looking for a Herbology book to lend Luna.

"Do you consider... Hermione...a mudblood?" Harry asked falteringly. The atmosphere in the room became stifling as Neville involuntarily tensed at Harry's question, "You can be honest with me Neville."

"Harry, I'm not saying Hermione's a **bad** person, but she **is** a mudblood." Neville sighed as he looked at Harry imploringly, "Look, I'm friends with Susan, she told me about the story, apparently her intended informed her. And, before you ask, Purebloods are families that usually have connections and ties with other Purebloods, it's like our social and information network. We might not get along in school and other places, but we all have to attend the balls and galas as a tradition."

Harry sighed resignedly to himself, _"Why couldn't she just have gotten them to get rid of the clause she didn't like? She wouldn't be in this mess."_

"She can correct it you know," Neville put in hesitantly as he stood to stand beside Harry, "She would have to give a public apology and do something as compensation, but she doesn't have to forever be seen as someone who spat in the face of magic."

Harry smiled at his friend and thanked him with a nod of his head before changing topics, "How's Luna doing?"

"Not very good," Neville said tiredly, "They're keeping her in the Hospital Wing because they haven't identified the curse and it could be worse than it is. She's recovering, but slowly apparently."

_"When am I going to stop hurting the people who matter?"_ Harry thought to himself, the pain of being the cause of his friends' hurt consuming his mind before he put on a calm facade."Come on Neville, I'm starving."

When Harry grabbed his wand, glasses and moved to leave the room Neville's voice stopped him."Um... Harry? Not to put pressure on you or anything..." Neville started, "But don't you have Quidditch practice today? Since Umbridge is gone..."

Neville laughed lightly as Harry's eyes widened comically in realization, there was no way he'd make it to practice and have a decent breakfast at the same time!

He quickly threw his quidditch robes on over his shirt and pants, grabbing his broom he bolted out of the room leaving behind Neville's soft laughter.

* * *

Harry ran through the corridor and down the stairs into the Great Hall, where he snatched a piece of toast from Gryffindor table , ignoring the looks his rushing was garnering from the other students eating. Quickly running out the doors and in to the grounds Harry attempted to eat the toast while trying to fasten his robes properly.

"I'm here Angelina!" Harry burst through the doors to the changing room. He was met by silence as his team mates stared at his hurried state, with his messy hair more dishevelled than usual.

"There he is!" Fred exclaimed slinging his arm across Harry's shoulders, pulling him into the room where George joined his brother in dwarfing the younger boy.

"That's right! The man of the hour!" George declared.

"You-" Fred started, only for his twin to pick up where he left off.

"Got rid-"

"Of-"

"the demon-

"Umbridge!" Harry nearly got whiplash from turning his head to each twin before they finished their sentence together.

He blushed at the praise as he stepped towards his locker and took out his gloves, setting his broom aside on the bench.

"I didn't do much, it was Hermione's plan really." Harry mumbled.

"No need to be modest Harry." Katie said as she strapped her boots on.

"Yeah, you should take some credit too. You were there with her if the rumours are true." Alicia put in, "You're lucky Angelina hasn't come out of her office yet, she'd have a cow at you being late." She sniggered.

"I heard that!" Angelina exclaimed as she came out of the Captain's Office, "The door's closed, not sound proof, I still heard him yell."

Harry groaned and held his head in his hands while the others laughed with amusement at his embarrassment, _"Why me? I probably looked like such an idiot."_

"Umm... Guys?" Harry began uncomfortably, "Where's Ron? I know he's not happy with me right now, and I'd have to say I'm not to thrilled about him either."

The twins were the ones who answered him first, with George starting their sentence this time, "He's been saying-"

"Rumours-"

"About you."

"And..."

"That's-"

"Not-"

"On-"

"Because-"

"We're-"

"Meant to be-"

"A team-"

"And-"

"Stabbing-"

"Teammates-"

"In the-

"Back-"

"Is just plain wrong."

The girls of the team nodded their head in assent, but something seemed to trouble them.

"Harry, we know we didn't stand up for you back in your second year," Katie said looking to the other girls for support, "But it was wrong of us, so we're standing with you now, through **these** rumours."

"We believed you when you said He-Who-Must Not-Be-Named was back last year, you know?" Alicia added at Harry's surprised expression.

"As for Ron, I've got him outside flying laps to blow off some steam, but if he doesn't work with the team, he can't be part of the team." Angelina informed him giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

* * *

_"I can't believe Angelina would say that to me after I warn her that Potter's a traitor!" _Ron fumed as he flew around the Quidditch pitch at dangerous speeds, thinking about the grilling Angelina had given him in the morning when he told her that, as a traitor, Harry should be kicked off the team, _"Wait till Dumbledore hears about this, his precious Golden Boy, turning Dark."_

A shrill whistle blasted through the morning air as the rest of the team entered the Quidditch Pitch for practice. Seeing that the team had arrived Ron pulled on his sharply and sloppily turned towards them.

"What're you doing here traitor!?" Ron yelled at Harry as he dismounted.

"Quidditch Practice" Harry answered coolly, _"I've been on this team longer than you have! How dare you!? I have every right to be here!"_

"People who hang out with Death Eaters aren't welcome in Gryffindor and definitely not on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team." Ron sneered, still seething about being beaten by a Snake.

"Enough!" Angelina's command cracked between the two boys, "You said it yourself! This is a team, act like one. That's two strikes now Ron, conjure a bridge and get over it. Or I'm getting a new Keeper."

Ron immediately clamped his mouth shut, but glared at Harry before taking to the air at Angelina's command.

Practice went as smoothly as it could given the tense circumstances, but Ron's ears never lost pink hue. His anger showing itself as he stomped out of the changing rooms after practice.

* * *

_"I'm so hungry," _Harry mentally groaned as he dragged his feet tiredly to Gryffindor Tower for a shower.

He clumsily entered through the portrait hole into the empty Common Room, _"Everyone's probably outside enjoying the nice day..."_

Harry found his way into the Boy's dormitory and grabbed some clean clothes before heading to the communal boy's showers.

The showers stalls were empty as Harry's footsteps rang against the tiled floor, each space magically cleaned. The showers were the most tastefully decorated part of Gryffindor Tower in Harry's opinion. With its cream walls accentuated by the reds and golds in the curtains and other objects in the room.

Stepping in to the shower stall in the far corner, as it had the most space, Harry shed his clothes and felt the water pouring on his head at the perfect temperature.

Feeling relaxed and clean Harry stepped out of shower room in a set clean, albeit, clothes.

Absentmindedly scrubbing his dark hair with a towel he didn't see Dean until he walked straight into him.

"Ouch!" The dark skinned boy exclaimed, "Watch where you're going traitor!"

Harry's apology died on his lips as Dean roughly shoved past him, knocking him into the corridor wall and bruising his shoulder.

Shaking his head slightly he made his way to his room and threw his wet towel and dirty clothes into the designated corner of the room where the House elves would come and have them cleaned.

_"I think I'll go to the Kitchens and grab something to eat, I don't think I'd be able to last until lunch time. Hmmm... What did Fred and George say I have to do to get in?" _Harry decided as he exited the dorms and crossed the common room, before a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Going to your Death Eater friends Potter?" Ron sneered from his place on the couch.

"I thought you were mad at the start of the year," Seamus put in from beside Ron, "But now that even your best mate's against you, I _know _ you're barking mad!"

"Think your hot shots don't you?" Harry said through gritted teeth, the Common Room's few occupants grew quiet, "If you can't see past you're own stubborness I can't convince you of anything. But I have never once done anything to willingly hurt people."

"Yeah, that's because you're probably playing spy for You-Know-Who!" Ron yelled standing up, "Why else would you be meeting Slimy Snakes in the dead of night?"

"Why would I work for a monster who wants to KILL ME!?" Harry screamed back, "I can't put up with your jealous streaks and your prejudices any more! Every time I see my face in the mirror all I can see are my parents dying, Sirius dying! All because I existed! But ALL **YOU** CAN SEE IS THE FAME THAT I GET FROM LOSING EVERYTHING!"

Harry was panting now, his tirade causing his to seethe and reel at his ex-best friend words.

"So what!?" Ron angrily questioned as his face turned as red as his hair, "You'll join the Slytherins because you think they'll take you in? Poor Rich Potter with a sad, dark past. Well, I was the one who kept risking my life with you on those **stupid** adventures!"

Harry physically took a step back as he Ron's words made him flinch involutarily, "I never once asked you to come with me! I remember telling you to NOT come, but you came on your own!"

"I wouldn't have come and risked my neck in the first place if Dumbl-!" Ron snapped his mouth shut, it looked like he was about to reveal something he wasn't supposed to.

_"Dumbledore ordered him to come with me?!" _Harry mentally reeled at the information, _"What else is Dumbledore telling him to do?!"_

But his inner diatribe was cut short by Angelina's voice cracked like a whip in the silence following the yelling match.

"That's enough! I told you Ron that if you want to be part of the team you have to work WITH your team mates."

"But-"

"You're off the team! McLaggen!" said boy jumped at suddenly being called on by the irate girl, "You're the new Keeper, congratulations. Practice are Tuesday and Thursday evenings, as well as Saturday mornings."

The tall-blonde grinned and winked at her, "I knew you'd never be able to resist having me on the team."

Angelina merely rolled her eyes in frustration before stepping towards Harry, "Come on Harry."

* * *

"Where are we going?" Harry asked as he and Angelina stepped out and met with Katie and Alicia.

Katie threw an arm over his shoulders and said, "We figured you'd be starving by now, seeing as you woke up late this morning and practically went straight to practice."

Alicia grinned and wrapped an arm around his waist from his left side, the one not occupied by Katie, much to his embarrassment, "So... We're taking you to the kitchens for a bite to eat!"

Although he was uncomfortable at first Harry grew to like the position he was in, it was like having older sisters to look out for him.

When they arrived in front of the painting of the fruit bowl which concealed the Hogwarts Kitchens Angelina reached out to tickle the pear.

"That's it!" Harry exclaimed pointing at Angelina before promptly blushing as all three girls looked at him with raised eyebrows, "I was going to come here before, you know... But, I couldn't remember what I was supposed to do to get in."

As Harry mumbled through his explanation Angelina laughed and reached out to ruffle his hair, "Glad I could be of some help Harry."

Laughing all four students stepped into the kitchen before Harry was quickly released by the two chaser as brown blur threw itself at him.

"Master Harry Potter Sir!" Dobby yelled gripping Harry around the middle tightly, "Yous has come to visit Dobby with friends. Dobby has been wanting to see you sir! Dobby keeps hoping he will see Master Harry Potter when he cleans in the Gryffy Tower sir!"

"Woah! Hi Dobby!" Harry said catchin the e excited elf, "How are you? I'm sorry I haven't come to visit, I'll try to come more often."

Dobby's eyes watered, "Master Harry Potter is truly a great wizard! Apologizing to Dobby! Can I gets you anything Master Harry Potter sir?"

"Yeah, Dobby, could you get me and my friends something to eat?" As soon as he said the words House Elves swarmed the group making dish upon dish appear on a wooden table for the four students.

"Wow!" Katie's eyes grew wide at all the delicious foods before them.

"Thank you!" Alicia called to all the elves who smiled and returned to their work, leaving the group to eat in peace.

"If yous need anything Master Harry Potter sir," Dobby told him, "Just call Dobby and Dobby will come, even if yous do not come to the kitchens sir!"

"Thanks Dobby." Harry smiled at the little elf, "But call me Harry okay?"

"Okay Master Harry!" Dobby said, "Dobby must go back to work now sir and misses."

Harry and the three chasers enjoyed a delicious brunch, they told Harry about funny Quidditch mishaps while he in turn told them of some of his adventures, even if they did have to keep prodding him to tell them.

* * *

_"I wonder if Potter has any appropriate robes for the Gringotts visit this afternoon," _Daphne mused as she walked though the almost empty corridors of Hogwarts, _"Probably not, judging by the rags he keeps wearing."_

Speaking of the devil, she spotted the object of her musing waving goodbye to three Gryffindor girls as he made his toward the large double doors that led to the grounds outside.

Harry appeared to pause halfway to the doors and crouched to tie his shoe lace. That was what Daphne thought before he stood up and barely looking at her roughly walked into her, slipping something into her pocket.

"Watch where you're going Potter." Daphne sneered in an icy tone.

"I wouldn't have to if you weren't in the way Greengrass." Harry snapped back before dusting himself off and walking outside.

Quickly walking to a secluded corner she took out the note in her pocket.

_Once you've read this count to twenty and then come to the Quidditch Pitch, I want to talk._

Slowly counting to twenty to make sure no one would suspect a connection between her and Harry, Daphne proceeded to make her way to the Quidditch PItch outside.

* * *

A cool breeze blew across the grounds of Hogwarts, the grass of the Quidditch Pitch bending as the wind swept through it. Despite the warmth of the sun Harry shivered slightly in the biting breeze, clutching his jacket closer. He watched as Daphne gracefully walked into the stadium, looking every bit the pureblood heiress that she was. She squinted at the sun obviously looking for Harry.

"Over here Daphne!" Harry called as he jumped onto his broom and flew down to her, vacating his seat in the stadium.

"What did you need to talk about Harry?" Daphne asked the airborne boy with arms akimbo.

"Come with me." He said holding out his hand with a smile for the blond-haired witch.

"What?" Daphne asked bewildered.

"Get on my broom," Harry stated simply, "We'll go somewhere more private."

"I don't know, I'm not a fan of flying." Daphne uncharacteristically stuttered.

"Don't worry. I promise you'll enjoy the ride." He smiled taking her hand and gently guiding her onto his Firebolt.

Daphne hesitantly mounted the broom, sitting in front of Harry, "You better not let go or go fast. I promise I will- Aaaaaahhh!"

She yelled shutting her eyes and hiding her face against Harry's arm as he rose quickly. Hands gripping said arm tightly.

"I'm going to hex you Harry! I swear, when we land I'm going to hex you to oblivion!"

Harry chuckled at her antics, but nonetheless tightened his arms around the petite violet-eyed girl.

* * *

**I'm sorry that this is a filler chapter, but I haven't finished the next one yet and I wanted to put something for you guys that are waiting. Bear with me and I will keep writing the next chapter, I also hope this chapter length was better than the previous ones.**

**Thank you!**


	5. Sorry!

Hi everyone!

Thank you to all of you who have read, reviewed, followed and/or favourited this story. Taking some reviews into account, I will be putting this on hold and revamping my first few chapters. I'm hoping that by doing this and getting a beta, my story will really be ironed out.

Thank you and please don't give up on me!

This is hold temporary!


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